Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-05-04
FILE

THE YELLOWSTONE.
1t car do no possible harm to tell the
whole truth about the Yellowstone, and
% acknowledge that while the great
Park contains certainly the seven Won
lers of the world in natural magnifi-
sence, the great spaces between these
different wonders are immense distan-
ses of utterly u~ninteresting scenery,
which one traverses over roads covered
With a white binding dust which is
7ery nearly intolerable. It is true that
The hot springs, and the geysers. and
the Paint Pots, and the falls, and the
canon, and the lake, and the many-col-
pred pools, are worth any amount of
trouble in getting to them; but it is
also true that they are worth taking any
amount of trouble to lessen the trouble;
and since it could all be removed by so
simple a thing as a few rails and a
locomotive, it is certainly a pity that a
state of things should be left existing
which prevents the very young, the
very old, the very %fastidious, or the very
weak, from enjoying the real wonders
If such a journey.
In the mean time, however, there is
no railway, and our friends, as the next
oest thing would hire special teams and
camp out.
Joseph was pressed into service as a
guide. It was very cool in the CORR
doris Of the hotel, but a single step from
The piazza proved their light satteen,
travelling dresses more comfortable than
The blue flannel gowns still waiting for
the reputed frost of the Yellowstone.
Colored glasses were necessary to shield
the eyes from the intense glare in the
sunlight of the snowy terraces, drop
ping Il after another for two miles
from the dark pine woods above and
around them, like a series of beautiful
frozen cascades.
Il notice there is only one man who
has the courage for figures" said the
Man Of Sense, referring to his guide
books as they crossed the white plateau
at the base of the extinct springs, and
paused at the foot of Old Liberty Cap,
the cone Of an extinct geyser, towering
fifty feet into the air. HE seems to
know all about it, and declares that it
took just fifty-four centuries to build up
this thing"
lean tellyou who heis,' said the know
ing Joseph, with a laugh. *He's the
man that tells you the Boiling River
puts fifty thousand barrels of hot water
into the Gardiner every twenty-four
hours. I've often told him he'd o1ghter
have let us know when he was going
20 measure it," 49,
"sAny estimate of the age of the
over terrace would be purely c%onjec-
ural,"' read the Man of Sense from
another guide-book. 'sStil, I suppose
there is no doubt about its being a
matter of centuries. In that case, how
soon do they expect to finish repairing
the DEVILS Thumb?"
For they had walked we to the
smaller column, which was notonly ex-
tinct, but crumbling with age and de-
c%repitude. Art was endeavoring to
assist nature, and repair the waste by
bringing water from the hot springs
iust above in wooden troughs, letting
t trickle down the sides of the cone and
evaporate, to leave its snowy deposit
TO repair the ravages of time. =
s'Wel, that teller that knows so
much about the fggers," explained
Joseph, 'says the Orange Geyser builds
q foot in a century. And he says the
hot springs will deposit a sixteenth OF
an inch in four days. All I know
about it is that I a put a beer bottle
under some of the falling water, and
turn it round once or twice, and have il
beautifully coated over, with a white
crust that won't crumble, in a day OF
two" + h. = Z
"Question; if you can coat a beer
bottle in a day or two. how long will it
take to build a geyser cone? Come,
Mabel, you were last at your books
''FiftY-four centuries" answered the
Maiden, promptly.
"Correct. You may 20 up to the
head;" and the Imperturable pointed to
the upper terrace towering above them.
1t was not at all a steep climb, but
they had to be wary about stepping in.
to the little rills of hot water trickling
down from the upper springs.
"Nhat is that dustpn exclaimed the
Convert, suddenly. II never saw dust
rising from ice before"
swell, marm,' said the smiling
Joseph, I'm the first place. faint dust
Ind in the next place, faint ice. The
lust is steam, and the ceisformation.'
4of course" said the Convert. ~